Prince combats illegal downloads
Music artist Prince is threatening to sue a host of major websites, including YouTube, eBay and Pirate Bay, as part of a legal initiative to “reclaim the Internet” from piracy.…
Mediaset profits, secures content
Italian broadcaster Mediaset posted first-half net profits up 2.5 per cent at E340.8m, on revenue 4.2 per cent higher at E2.08bn, citing higher revenues from its pay-per-view division and Spanish…
China narrows final mobile TV spec to CMMB, TDBM
Du Baichuan, former CTO of China’s State Administration of Radio, Film and Television has confirmed that “China will have two mobile TV standards by the end of this year: CMMB…
FCC sets cable requirement for digital switchover
US communications regulators have approved new rules designed to ensure that cable television subscribers who own analogue TV sets will still have access to local broadcast TV channels following the…
DoJ blow to Internet neutrality
The US Department of Justice (DoJ) has backed US telcos, warning regulators against imposing 'net neutrality' rules that would block carriers from charging content providers premium prices to prioritise some…
No TorrentSpy for US
Dutch file-sharing service TorrentSpy has blocked US users from its search engines after a US court made an order requiring the firm to log users’ IP addresses and activity. TorrentSpy…
TiVo loss widens
TiVo said its second-quarter loss widened on a write down of inventory, but the company reiterated its goal of breaking even on an adjusted basis for fiscal 2008. The write…
PCCW reports interim results for 2007
Hong Kong telco PCCW, the world's leading IPTV provider, has reported stronger growth of its core telecom, media and ICT business segments in the first half of 2007 as the…
Telekom Austria buys MRS
Telekom Austria Group has bought the interactive TV voting company Mass Response Service GmbH (MRS) from the Dutch company Twister Media Group for around E19.5 million as part of its…
Rights war blanks Madrid derby
From David Del Valle in Madrid The Spanish football TV war between Sogecable and Mediapro, main shareholder in commercial channel La Sexta, prevented viewers outside of Spain from watching the…
NBC buys Sparrowhawk
NBC Universal has agreed to acquire Sparrowhawk and its global portfolio of pay TV channels, including the international Hallmark Channels, from Providence Equity Partners, 3i and management shareholders. The announcement…
DIG takes 40% stake in Indian IPTV
Dubai Investment Group (DIG has acquired through its subsidiary Dubai Ventures, a 40 per cent stake in Time Broadband Services, India's newest IPTV (Internet Protocol Television) service provider. Having extensive…
Burch frozen out in June
Virgin Media chief executive Steve Burch was frozen out of the company’s sale process for two and a half months before his exit this week, according to a company filing…
Spain: Sogecable and Mediapro in a blazing row
From David Del Valle in Madrid With TV football broadcasts in the air, Sogecable and Mediapro are intensifying their respective attacks. Sogecable has accused Mediapro of pirating the TV signal…
Belgacom helped by TV
Belgacom reported profit that beat analyst estimates for the second quarter on higher sales of high-speed Internet access and raised its forecasts for mobile-phone and fixed-line revenue. Net income rose…
Macquarie after C&M
A consortium including Macquarie Bank's South Korean private equity arm and MBK Partners is set to acquire a 30 per cent stake in the country's second biggest cable TV group…